Advent Reflection: Psalm 33

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 Read Psalm 33

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you. (Ps 33:20-22)

Get in the diamond lane.
I only have 13 items.
The test results come back in two weeks.
You still have two months left?
Can we open just one present tonight?

We don’t like waiting because in our math waiting equals doing nothing. We feel powerless and therefore hopeless. How can I have hope if I’m not doing anything? But the Psalm says we wait in hope for the Lord, he is our help, and our shield. Waiting gives us hope, because 

Waiting is doing something. 

We wait with worship: with instruments, with joy, with a new song, with shouting. Many Moods of Christmas helps me wait. It’s more than a distraction; it’s acknowledging the truth of God’s word, his faithfulness, his love for us in sending Jesus. Harps, violins, cellos, guitar, bassoon, piano, brass, drums; small voices, great voices, old songs, new songs; praise, adoration, proclamation, awe, wonder, humility, gratitude; resolution, tension, fear, hope, joy, peace. All brought together in one room with many hearts, with one message, with many applications, with one hope: that God is faithful.“Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.” 

Each Sunday in worship we wait together. We wait for God to speak, for our hearts to be encouraged, to pray for the world, to welcome the stranger, to encourage a heart. We wait together in worship.

We wait with God’s word. While we wait we point to who God is and what God has already done in scripture to declare and demonstrate his power and faithfulness:

Creation, justice, love, purposes, generations.

Scripture tells us what God already knows, wait we attempt in vain to fix, and his power to save

His plans, our hearts, our actions.
Armies, strength, horse 
deliver, love, help, shield.

All this while we are doing nothing and yet doing everything to hope in the Lord. 

We wait together. Scripture reminds us we are not alone. As lonely as we feel, we are not alone. He promises to be with us by his spirit. And we can choose to be together to share a meal, a cup of coffee, a prayer, a tear, a wish, a gift, a song.
 
I, my, me?
No.
We, our, us. 

We are the people of God waiting together, in worship, around his word, together. We wait together. We hope together. “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.” 
We await at Advent Jesus' coming at Christmas, and for his coming again to complete what he has already begun:  

"Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:3–5)

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